Hypoglycemia

Edited by: Tamer M. Fouad, M.D.
Published: July 10, 2009. Updated: August 08, 2009
Category: Endocrinology | Diabetes

Hypoglycemia is a pathologic state that is caused by neuronal glucose deprivation. Brain metabolism depends primarily on glucose as energetic material. When blood glucose levels decrease a group of homeostatic mechanisms come into play as a reaction to… Read more... (Comments: 0)

Chest pain

Edited by: Tamer M. Fouad, M.D.
Published: June 22, 2009. Updated: May 18, 2010
Category: Cardiology | Family Medicine | Pulmonology

Any of the structures within the chest are sensitive to pain except the lung parenchyma (tissue) and visceral pleura (not the parietal pleura - which is the cause of pleuritic pain). This makes chest pain a very difficult symptom to analyze as the list… Read more... (Comments: 1)

Parkinsonism

Edited by: Tamer M. Fouad, M.D.
Published: April 03, 2010. Updated: April 03, 2010
Category: Neurology

Parkinsonism is a group of neurodegenerative diseases involving the substantia nigra (an area in the basal ganglia).

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Migraine

Edited by: Tamer M. Fouad, M.D.
Published: April 03, 2010. Updated: April 03, 2010
Category: Neurology

Migraine is defined as severe, episodic, unilateral, throbbing headache accompanied by nausea, photophobia, visual or neurological manifestations.

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Ulnar palsy

Edited by: Tamer M. Fouad, M.D.
Published: April 03, 2010. Updated: April 03, 2010
Category: Neurology

Ulnar Nerve Palsy is paralysis caused by damage, compression or trapping of the ulnar nerve as it makes its way down the length of the arm. This occurs due to nerve compression at the elbow (cubital tunnel) or at the wrist (Guyon’s canal). Muscle… Read more... (Comments: 0)

Trigeminal neuralgia

Edited by: Tamer M. Fouad, M.D.
Published: April 03, 2010. Updated: April 03, 2010
Category: Neurology | ENT

Trigeminal neuralgia is a condition in which the patient experiences sudden, lightning-like paroxysms of pain in the distribution of one or more divisions of the trigeminal nerve.

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Transient global amnesia

Edited by: Tamer M. Fouad, M.D.
Published: April 03, 2010. Updated: April 03, 2010
Category: Neurology

Transient global amnesia is a paroxysmal, transient (less than 24 hours) loss of memory function. Immediate recall ability is preserved, as is remote memory; however, patients experience striking loss of memory for recent events and an impaired ability… Read more... (Comments: 0)

Troponin

Edited by: Tamer M. Fouad, M.D.
Published: June 21, 2009. Updated: August 17, 2009
Category: Cardiology | Pathology

Troponin is a protein that confers calcium sensitivity to muscle cells. Read more... (Comments: 0)

Creatine kinase

Edited by: Tamer M. Fouad, M.D.
Published: June 21, 2009. Updated: August 17, 2009
Category: Cardiology | Pathology | Rheumatology

Creatine kinase is one of the most sensitive indicators of myocardial injury. Creatine kinase is found primarily in the heart, skeletal muscle, and brain. Acute liver damage has no effect on CK. CK may be elevated in acute muscular damage (such as seen… Read more... (Comments: 0)

Pacemaker

Edited by: Tamer M. Fouad, M.D.
Published: June 21, 2009. Updated: July 29, 2009
Category: Cardiology

A pacemaker (or "artificial pacemaker", so as not to be confused with the heart's natural pacemaker) is a medical device designed to regulate the beating of the heart. The purpose of an artificial pacemaker is to stimulate the heart when either the heart's… Read more... (Comments: 0)

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)

Edited by: Tamer M. Fouad, M.D.
Published: June 21, 2009. Updated: July 04, 2009
Category: Cardiology

CPR or cardiopulmonary resuscitation is an emergency first aid procedure used to help a person who has lost their pulse and their ability to breathe normally, a condition known as cardiac arrest. Cardiac arrest is a condition nearly everyone experiences… Read more... (Comments: 0)

Defibrillation

Edited by: Tamer M. Fouad, M.D.
Published: June 21, 2009. Updated: July 04, 2009
Category: Cardiology

Defibrillation is the definitive treatment for the life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias, ventricular fibrillation and pulseless ventricular tachycardia. Read more... (Comments: 0)

Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB)

Edited by: Tamer M. Fouad, M.D.
Published: June 21, 2009. Updated: July 27, 2009
Category: Cardiology

Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is a technique that temporarily takes over the function of the heart and lungs during surgery, maintaining the circulation of blood and the oxygen content of the body. The CPB pump itself is often referred to as a Heart-Lung… Read more... (Comments: 0)

Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA)

Edited by: Tamer M. Fouad, M.D.
Published: June 21, 2009. Updated: July 04, 2009
Category: Cardiology

Angioplasty, or Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA) is a method used to unblock a coronary artery. A wire is passed through the diseased coronary artery, to an area of the coronary artery that is not being worked upon. Over this wire,… Read more... (Comments: 0)